1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used to catch leakage or spillage of liquids. Specifically, my device relates to devices that collect leakage or spills/drips such as those occurring from a typical household sink and its associated plumbing and/or spills from wet items stored within a sink cabinet such as those used in household cleaning. My invention also relates to leak catching devices as they are applied to a variety of commonly sized cabinets. Further, my invention relates to devices that provide organization to items stored within a variety of commonly sized sink cabinets. Finally, my invention relates to a combination of the many features important to these prior mentioned fields but incorporated within a single device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The configuration of a sink mounted within, and supported by, the top surface of a cabinet is well known and common. Virtually all homes and business have such sinks and the associated plumbing. Of particular interest is the cabinet that is used to support and position the sink, as well as to contain and conceal all the associated plumbing. This plumbing will of necessity include fittings, joints and pipes configured so as to supply water to the sink, and likewise fittings, joints and pipes configured so as to direct waste water and waste material away from the sink.
The typical design of kitchens, workrooms, bathrooms, washrooms, coffee break rooms, lunch rooms, etc. may include multiple sinks configured in close juxtaposition to one another. For example, most kitchen sinks in residential dwellings will include a minimum of 2 sinks joined together. A third smaller sink used specifically for food preparation and disposal is not uncommon. Each additional sink unit must of necessity include the plumbing related to that sink unit for water delivery and drain-water/waste removal.
Secondary plumbing configurations are also not uncommon within the confines of the same cabinet. For example, a dishwasher will almost always be located in close proximity to the sink cabinet and will typically source its water supply from the same plumbing as used by the sink. It will also most always tie its waste water plumbing into that used by the sink. These junctions and fittings are again configured and exist in the confines of space defined by the sink cabinet. Another common design feature offered for kitchens is a flexible hose with a spray head type fixture at it's upper end, the whole of which can be easily extended a distance from its holding position. Each of these items of course involves additional fittings, junctions and valves to be located within the cavity defined by the cabinet.
Another element of consideration is the installation of a garbage disposal unit in-line with the waste plumbing of the sink. Not only does this further add to and complicate the design and complexity of the enclosed plumbing, it typically introduces another factor not otherwise experienced by all the plumbing involved in the overall configuration (including all the fittings, junctions and joints for all sinks as well as secondary plumbing as described herein.) That factor is the vibration and movement, sometimes significant, that is caused by the operation of the disposal unit. This vibration will cause stress, vibration and movement to the plumbing and be of particular distress to each joint in the plumbing configuration.
So it is now shown that the environment within the cavity of a sink cabinet is one of complicated plumbing, which includes a multitude of joints (some of which are designed to be easily separated) that are subjected to forces that cause shaking and displacement. The potential of failure in any portion of the entirety of the plumbing is increased by each factor—the multitude of joints, the purposefully designed-in ‘ease of disconnection’ feature, and the disruptive motion inducing force of a disposal unit. Failure here is defined as a breach in the integrity of the plumbing configuration to fully and completely contain the enclosed liquid, thus allowing a drip or leak to occur.
Further, it's typical such cabinets will be used as storage space for containers whose contents are liquid, such as dish soap, cleaning agents for countertops and other surfaces, and plumbing maintenance liquids such as those used to unclog a drain. Along with those liquids, this space is commonly used to store cleaning utensils such as sponges, brushes and dish-rags which may themselves contain residual moisture following their intended use.
Finally, many cabinets are used to conceal a trash container, because it is easily concealed when the cabinet door is closed and because of the proximity to spaces typically being utilized for activities that result in refuse produced as a byproduct. An example is the cleaning and preparation of fresh food products. The arrangement of these stored items is arbitrary, random, changeable and lends itself to disarray. The cluttered assortment of containers and cleaning tools each have vastly different sizes, shapes and frequency of use. It is far too easy to just replace an article back into the lower cabinet space by merely setting in on the forward most edge and pushing all other articles backwards until the cabinet door has room to close.
The confines and inner surfaces of the cabinet are not easily visible, because the area is low, dark and concealed by its contents. As a result, the placement of any article into the cabinet for storage is made difficult. This results in the likelihood that any article once removed from the cabinet will be returned into a completely different position or space. This then contributes to the varied and changing arrangement of all things stored within the cabinet. It also contributes to the potential mis-alignment of moisture bearing refuse with the opening of the trash receptacle and subsequently spilling into the inner confines of the cabinet space.
Although not an exclusive design arrangement, it's typical for a sink to be installed into the top of a cabinet that has been specifically designed for that purpose. Cabinets will of necessity be of various and sizes for kitchens, baths, master baths, utility rooms, work rooms, etc. The vast majority of these cabinets will be made of wood or wood composite.
Therein lies the scenario for which my invention provides a solution.
Wood will deteriorate when wet. The potential sources of moisture within the confines of a sink cabinet constructed of wood are many. Each section of the entire plumbing configuration as described above involves the joining together of pipes, fittings, joints, flexible tubing and the like. Some of these joints are specifically designed to not be permanent but rather to allow easy disassembly by the home owner for maintenance. Each joint can be a source of moisture leakage. The storage of wet items is a source of moisture coming into contact with the cabinet structure. Additionally, a home owner or professional performing maintenance work such as the disassemble of a drain trap to unclog the drain can be a potential source of moisture. Finally, the storage of containers with liquids in them and articles used in cleaning activities are other sources of potential moisture.
This illustrates that the sources of potential moisture coming into contact with the cabinet surface are many and varied. However, the detection of that moisture is not made easy nor obvious. This is a result of the cabinet being well below the line of sight and it being dark within the confines of the cabinet. Additionally, there are many items within the cabinet that visually restrict any casual observation of leaks or existing moisture damage. These items include the things that are themselves the potential sources of moisture leakage, such as the plumbing and the many articles stored within the cabinet.
As a result, drips and leakage will go undetected for long periods of time. And of course the longer and more frequently the cabinet surfaces remain in contact with the moisture that is resulting from the leakage, the more extensive the damage becomes to the cabinet material. In extreme cases this damage can go beyond even the confines of the cabinet and extend into the flooring below it, and even into surfaces below the flooring, such as into the ceiling structure of a room positioned below an upstairs bathroom. It is easy to consider that the resulting damage and ensuing repair can be extensive, disruptive and expensive.
This demonstrates the need for a device such as I present here, including its many advantages.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office data contains prior art describing devices that address protection from leakage as well as prior art describing storage devices for cabinets, as included in my design. Even so, room for improvement exists in the usability, functionality, performance, safety and convenience of such designs over and beyond what prior art teaches.
One example of such prior art is Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,300 titled “System and Method for Containing Fluid Leaks and Overflows from Appliances”. Johnson describes a simply shaped catch basin with sides that reconfigure to allow the easy positioning of an appliance (most notably a dishwasher) onto and above his device.
Trotter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,155 titled “Water Collection Mat for Dish-Washers” teaches a similar device as Johnson, specific to use with a dishwasher, without the specifics of a folding arrangement of sides, and with the addition of an integrated drain.
Sublett, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,723 titled “Collection Basin and Drain for Dishwasher Leakage” again teaches a design specific to use in conjunction with a dishwasher. In this case the appliance does not rest within the same volume provided for catching leakage as shown in the others, but rather its wheels straddle the outside of that structure and catch basin volume.
Each of these prior art examples contain merits that stand by themselves, but none exhibit the combination of features, ease of manufacture, cost effectiveness and functionality presented in my invention.